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Empire of Japan (I
The Conquest of Karafuto corresponds to military actions during the Japanese colonization of Karafuto Island, spanning 1742 to 1746. Seeking to ease domestic pressures, the Japanese government expanded permanent settlements on the island, provoking armed resistance by the Ainu people who were supported by eastern Manchu clans. The climactic Battle of Toyohara, the only major engagement of the campaign, involved the largest concentration of pre-industrial artillery and served as a precursor to Napoleonic line tactics. Japanese forces decisively defeated the Manchu-Ainu army, securing the island before launching a reprisal campaign against Outer Manchuria shortly afterward. Background Seeking to ease overpopulation in the Home Islands, Kampaku Toyotomi Yoshimoto organized a colonization campaign of Karafuto in 1742. Japanese presence on the island consisted of scattered fishing villages, and the local Ainu saw expansion of permanent settlements as an aggressive act, having already been driven off Hokkaido in the 15th century. The Ainu conducted intermittent skirmishes against the colonists for four years, but the government made no official response. Several Manchu clans saw Karafuto as an opportunity to weaken Japan, and in 1746 began supplying the Ainu with muskets and military advisors, turning the scattered raiders into an organized army. Yoshimoto responded by summoning the Tokugawa, Uesugi, and Kyushu clans for a military expedition. The Shimazu supplied their own fleet to blockade the island, although Manchu ships remained unmolested as they were not in a formal state of war. 200,000 men deployed to the main port of Toyohara, with the Shimazu commanding a contingent of 50,000 for offensive action, with approximately 100,000 additional troops garrisoning outlying settlements and supporting ongoing colonization. Battle of Toyohara The Manchu decided to reinforce the Ainu with an expedition of their own. When Shimazu patrols alerted the Kampaku to a military crossing, Yoshimoto ordered all available ships to transport cannon to Toyohara in the largest concentration of premodern artillery in history; total Japanese cannon is estimated between 1073 to 5000, compared to a mere 12 Manchu batteries. The main garrison, numbering 150,000, dug in outside the city, supported by strategically-positioned artillery. The Shimazu contingent deployed to a neighbouring settlement to act as a flanking force. While Manchu strength was estimated at 300,000, it was badly outgunned; sustained cannon fire decimated the army, and the commander pushed for a frontal charge before morale broke completely. Meanwhile, the Shimazu launched a flanking strike, capturing the enemy artillery and cutting off a retreat. The result was a "slaughter" as the Manchu were trapped in a kill zone and virtually destroyed: only a few hundred Manchu and twelve Ainu survived. Japanese casualties numbered less than 10,000, most the result of friendly artillery fire when the Shimazu contingent assaulted the Manchu rear. Aftermath Following Toyohara, Ainu resistance evaporated and Japan cemented its control of Karafuto. Manchu intervention was used as a pretext for a reprisal campaign against Outer Manchuria almost immediately afterward. The battle is considered to herald the age of artillery and an early demonstration of the line tactics that would be perfected by Napoleon Bonaparte. Category:History subpages Category:Pregame history of I&B4